Grazing, Biodiversity and Pastoral Vegetation in the South Sudanien Area of Burkina Faso

Grazing impact on plant diversity is dominated by two contradictory views. In some studies, it has been found to lead to an increase in diversity and in other studies to a decrease associated with dominance of a few species (Nösberger et al., 1998, Hiernaux, 1998). In an Isoberlinia doka forest ecosystem, considered as the climax vegetation in the South Sudanien area of Burkina Faso, a study was carried out to assess the impact of grazing on the diversity of herbaceous species. The Isoberlinia doka forest is one type of South Sudanien savanna. The woody stratum is open and allowed development of a continuous stratum of graminae dominated by Andropogonea such Andropogon ascinodis and Hyparrhenia spp.

Activités de pâturage, biodiversité et végétation pastorale dans la zone Ouest du Burkina Faso

L'évolution de la biodiversité végétale en fonction de trois niveaux de pression foncière et pastorale (faible, modérée, forte) a été étudiée sur des parcours communautaires de la région subhumide du Burkina Faso. L'étude a été conduite sur des faciès de savanes arbustives à Detarium microcarpum. Ces savanes, très familières dans les paysages végétaux pâturés de la région, sont considérées comme un faciès de dégradation des formations originelles de la région. L'étude met en évidence une augmentation de la biodiversité avec l'augmentation de l'anthropisation et de la pression pastorale. Cette biodiversité élevée s'accompagne toutefois d'une dégradation de la valeur pastorale de la végétation. La production de biomasse et la valeur pastorale baissent de plus de la moitié en cas de pression pastorale forte. La part consommable de la biomasse est également très affectée car celle des espèces considérées comme fourragères médiocres atteint 34 à 68 p. 100 de la biomasse évaluée. (Résumé d'auteur

Grazing, Biodiversity and Pastoral Vegetation in the South Sudanien Area of Burkina Faso

Grazing impact on plant diversity is dominated by two contradictory views. In some studies, it has been found to lead to an increase in diversity and in other studies to a decrease associated with dominance of a few species (Nösberger et al, 1998, Hiernaux, 1998). In an Isoberlinia doka forest ecosystem, considered as the climax vegetation in the South Sudanien area of Burkina Faso, a study was carried out to assess the impact of grazing on the diversity of herbaceous species. The Isoberlinia doka forest is one type of South Sudaniensavanna. The woody stratum is open and allowed development of a continuous stratum of graminae dominated by Andropogonea such Andropogon ascinodis and Hyparrhenia spp.

Shift in Herders' Territorialities from Regional to Local Scale: The Political Ecology of Pastoral Herding in Western Burkina Faso

International audienceIn Burkina Faso, livestock sedentarization programmes are still at the top of policy makers’ agendas and at the heart of their discourse, despite huge changes in land cover, land use and territorialities in rural areas. This paper contributes to the literature on the impact of livestock policies targeting the sedentarization of pastoralism in sub-Saharan Africa by specifically highlighting the territorial consequences of such policies. This paper suggests that policies directed at improving livestock governance in a context of climate change and changes in land cover and land tenure need to focus on securing pastoralists’ reticular territories, which are made up of corridors and numerous areas of pastureland, rather than on creating disconnected state ranches